Confessions of a True Alex Smith Fan

Growing up a 49ers fan, I’ll admit it was hard to be pro Alex Smith for the five years from the 2005 through 2010 seasons. However, I, unlike so many others, always gave him the benefit of the doubt. This is mainly because, well the Mikes, Nolan and Singletary that is, seemed to have a knack for taking pretty much any quarterback and making him worse. Additionally, Smith dealt with having four different offensive coordinators throughout those five seasons.


It seemed like Smith finally found the Belichick to his Brady when Jim Harbaugh arrived in San Francisco at the start of the 2011 season. Smith passed for over 3,000 yards with a completion percentage of around 61 percent. Smith also led the 49ers to a 13-3 season, with a first-round playoff bye, making it their winningest season since 1997.

Despite this success, many hailed Alex Smith as simply a “game manager.” He was a mediocre quarterback surrounded by a good offense and incredible defense. His sole purpose on the field was to put up a few scores and leave the rest in the hands of the defense.

Smith did this job impeccably, finishing the season with 19 touchdowns and a 1.123 percent interception rate that was not only a personal best but was also the lowest percentage in the NFL for the 2011 season.

In the 2011 playoffs, I would argue that Smith was much more than a game manager. His 4th quarter performance in the NFC Divisional playoff game against the New Orleans Saints was one of the best late game quarterback performance that I have experienced in my lifetime.

Let’s be real for a second, his touchdown pass to Vernon Davis with nine seconds remaining in the game was affectionately nicknamed “The Catch III” by 49er fans. Anyone who’s heard of either the previous “Catch I” or “Catch II” can understand just how monumental Smith’s play was.

In addition to that stellar performance by Smith, he completed 12 of 26 passes with two touchdowns in the NFC Championship loss to the New York Giants. Despite what many might have thought, that loss goes out entirely to the 49ers special teams players. I can personally attest to that, as many ignorant fans realized Kyle Williams was alive in one second and wanted him dead in the next.

Going into the 2012 season it was clear to everyone that Smith was going to be the 49ers starting quarterback. Harbaugh went so far as to say that “Alex Smith is our starting quarterback. He’s earned that.”

The 2012 season was arguably Smith's best as the 49ers quarterback. He threw for 1,736 yards in nine starts, was named NFC Offense Player of the Week in late October, and had a passer (QB) rating of 104.1. Had he qualified (he was six attempts short), he would have been third amongst all NFL quarterbacks in 2012, behind only Aaron Rogers and Peyton Manning.

The reason why Smith was never able to qualify is well known to almost any NFL fan, even those outside of the Bay Area. Smith got a concussion in that ninth start against the St. Louis Rams and was forced to ride the bench until he had been cleared by an independent neurologist. He was told he wouldn’t lose his starting spot, but onto the scene burst Colin Kaepernick and the rest is, as they say, history. Smith did indeed lose his starting spot and was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs during the offseason.

While the 49ers have gotten off to a somewhat rocky 5-2 start, the Chiefs have the best record in the NFL, a perfect 7-0, led by their quarterback Alex Smith. While his performance this Sunday may have some harkening back to his days as a game manager, Smith has truly become a quarterback, the one the 49ers hoped for when they selected him as the number one pick in the 2005 NFL Draft.

Now I know I’ll be a pariah among 49er fans for this, but I don’t necessarily think Kaepernick is doing all that much more for us. Kaepernick has eight turnovers this season to Smith’s three. The only benefit of Kaepernick is his ability to run the pistol offense in a way Smith would never have been able to.

Although Kaepernick’s ability to run the read option may prove to have made the discarding of Alex Smith worth it, the way the situation was handled will always leave a bad taste in my mouth. Smith was promised to be Harbaugh’s “guy” and at the first test of that promise, Harbaugh folded. Perhaps it is just the emotional female in me that naively believes in fairness at the NFL level, but if we are all being honest with ourselves, Smith got the seriously short end of the stick on this one.

While I forget about my dislike for the way Harbaugh handled this situation every time the 49ers take the field, I write this not for the apology that I think Smith deserves, but for the praise I think he is due.

I will forever spend every Sunday rooting for Smith because I think he is a true professional and a great football player that deserves the admiration and respect that he never received in San Francisco.

All Smith needed was someone to believe in him and Harbaugh gave that in spades, allowing the 49ers to again become the franchise that all San Franciscans dreamed for. So, from all 49er fans to Smith, I say thank you. Thank you for everything you did and everything you gave to us in your last two seasons in a red and gold jersey.

And as was said during the broadcast of that fateful NFC Championship game, we will never ever doubt you again.